Chess

Chess is a game for two players on a board of 64 squares. Each side starts with sixteen pieces — a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns — and the whole game is about one thing: trapping the other king. Everything else, from the first pawn move to the last exchange, is a means to that end.

It has been played for well over a thousand years, and it is still the best example of a game that takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to play well. On Alex Play Zone you can play a friend in a private room or sit down against our computer opponent, which searches several moves ahead before it answers.

How to start a game

1. 1Open the Chess page on Alex Play Zone and pick a nickname — no account is needed.
2. 2Choose “Play with Bot” to start at once, or “Play with Friend(s)” to create a room and share its six-letter code or invite link.
3. 3White moves first. Tap a piece to see where it can go, then tap the square you want.
4. 4Each move has a 45-second timer, so the game keeps moving. When a pawn reaches the far side you choose what it becomes.

The rules of Chess

How the pieces move

• King: one square in any direction. It may never move onto a square where it could be captured.
• Queen: any number of clear squares along a row, a column or a diagonal — the strongest piece on the board.
• Rook: any number of clear squares along a row or a column.
• Bishop: any number of clear squares diagonally, so each bishop stays on one colour for the whole game.
• Knight: an “L” — two squares one way and one square to the side. It is the only piece that jumps over others.
• Pawn: one square forward, or two on its very first move. It captures one square diagonally forward, never straight ahead.

Three special moves

• Castling: the king moves two squares towards a rook and the rook hops over it. Neither piece may have moved before, the squares between them must be empty, and the king may not be in check or pass through an attacked square.
• En passant: when a pawn advances two squares and lands beside an enemy pawn, that pawn may capture it as if it had only moved one — but only on the very next move.
• Promotion: a pawn that reaches the last row becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight of your choice. A queen is nearly always right, but a knight sometimes gives a check a queen cannot.

How a game ends

• Checkmate: the king is attacked and has no way out — it cannot move away, the attacker cannot be captured and nothing can be put in between. The game is over.
• Stalemate: the player to move is not in check but has no legal move. That is a draw, not a win — a trap many beginners fall into when far ahead.
• A game is also drawn when neither side has enough pieces left to give checkmate, or when the same position keeps repeating.

How to play well

Fight for the centre

The four central squares are the crossroads of the board: a piece standing there reaches both wings. Opening with a centre pawn and supporting it with knights and bishops gives your pieces room and takes it away from your opponent.

Develop before you attack

Bring out your knights and bishops in the first handful of moves, then castle. Moving the same piece twice or sending the queen out early usually just hands your opponent free moves while they chase it around.

Count the attackers and the defenders

Before you capture, count how many of your pieces attack a square and how many of theirs defend it. If the numbers are level, the exchange is only worth it when you give up the cheaper piece first.

Ask what the last move threatens

Most games between beginners are decided by a piece left hanging. Every time your opponent moves, look for what it attacks and what it stopped defending — before you think about your own plan.

Remember: Control the centre early and bring out knights and bishops before moving the same piece twice.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the king in the middle. An uncastled king is a target as soon as the centre opens.
• Bringing the queen out on move two or three, where every enemy piece can develop by attacking it.
• Grabbing a pawn and losing a piece: a “free” pawn on the edge of the board is rarely free.
• Stalemating a lone king when you are a queen ahead. With a big lead, always leave the enemy king a square to move to until the mate is ready.

Questions and answers

Who moves first in chess?

White always moves first. In an online room on Alex Play Zone the winner of the previous game starts the next one, and after a draw the first move changes hands.

Can a pawn become something other than a queen?

Yes. When your pawn reaches the last row you are asked to choose a queen, rook, bishop or knight.

Is there a time limit?

Each move has 45 seconds. There is no clock for the whole game.

How strong is the computer opponent?

It looks several moves ahead and will punish pieces left undefended, which makes it a good sparring partner for beginners and casual players.